Tara Lancaster Virtual Assistant Services Ltd

14/10/2026

Your accountant isn't your admin assistant.

I posted about a bag of receipts I recently got asked to sort, and the comments were interesting:

"Just use an app."
"The accountant shouldn't have to deal with this."
"Someone has to do the job."

And they're all right.

Your accountant is your financial expert. Apps like Zoho Expense, Xero and QuickBooks are brilliant tools. But someone still has to upload the receipts, organise the expenses, send the invoices and chase the payments.

After 20+ years in recruitment and admin, I know those jobs don't go away when they get left. They just get bigger.

So here's how I see it:

Your software makes things easier.
Your accountant looks after the numbers.
And I take care of the admin in between.

If your receipts are living in a bag, a drawer or the glove box of your car, message me and we'll deal with it.

29/09/2026

Most small business owners overcomplicate their expenses system. I know I did!

Here's the simple version I'd use.

📌 Step 1: One place for receipts
Choose one, easily accessible place to keep all your receipts so you don't need to go searching through your phone, inbox, Dropbox or even your glove box.

📌 Step 2: One routine
To keep on top of the receipts, stick to one routine.
Pick a regular time, whether that's a Monday morning or a Friday afternoon, that fits with your week.
This helps you stay on track with your expenses week by week and avoids that pile building up.

📌 Step 3: One recording method
Record: Date | Supplier | Amount | Category | Receipt
You don't need a complicated spreadsheet if your accounting software already handles this.

I personally use FreeAgent with my bank account and each of these are easily recorded, and I can upload the receipt or invoice too.

For those within MTD, digital records need to contain the amount, date and category, and compatible software uses those records to create quarterly updates.

📌 Step 4: One monthly check
And finally, make sure everything matches. Have one set monthly date where you check the total on your bank statement matches your records for that month. This is your safety net to catch anything missed.

This is what I mean when I talk about process improvement.

It's not about finding some fancy new system.

Sometimes it's simply looking at a job that keeps getting left until later and asking:
"What could I change so this takes five minutes instead of five hours?"

What admin job do you keep putting off because you haven't found a simple way of dealing with it? Let me know below! 👇

25/09/2026

This lovely review made me smile!

There’s nothing better than hearing that the support I’m providing is making life a little easier for a small business owner.

And I particularly loved the last line...

“I should have begun working with her sooner!”

If your admin is piling up and you’re constantly thinking “I’ll get to that later”, perhaps it’s time to hand some of it over.

22/09/2026

When a client hands me a bag of receipts, this is what I see.

You've got clients to look after, emails to answer, work to deliver, and somehow you're also meant to keep track of every receipt along the way. Something's got to give, and it's usually this.

So, when someone hands me a bag like this, I don't see a mess. I just see a job that needs sitting down and working through, one receipt at a time.

If this looks familiar, drop me a message and let's have a chat about how I can help.

12/09/2026

08/09/2026

Do you have an abandoned summer to-do list?

In my recruitment days I know I did!

Files piling up. Emails I meant to sort. CVs I kept saying I'd write up "tomorrow." Job ads that needed refreshing but I never quite managed to get done.

August always feels slower when you're in it. Clients are away, the diary looks a bit emptier, and 1st August feels like it's going to last forever.

Then September lands and suddenly everything speeds up at once.

Clients are back. Emails flood in overnight. Meetings reappear in the diary out of nowhere.

And that list you wrote at the beginning of August?

Still sitting there. Still needing doing.

👉 Quick tip: don't try to clear the whole list in one go. Pick the three things that'll make the biggest difference this week and start there.

This is exactly the kind of backlog I help business owners get on top of, so September doesn't end up feeling like you're starting the year twice.

So... what's still sitting on your summer to-do list? 👇

02/09/2026

If someone else is replying to your comments, will your business still sound like you?

That's one of the first questions I get asked before handing over any social media support.

And yes, it still can.

We'd agree how your business sounds, what I can reply to, and what comes back to you.

Simple questions? I can help.
Something personal or detailed? I'll flag it for you.

You stay in control of your voice. I just make sure nothing gets missed when your day gets busy.

We all know how "I'll reply to that later" usually goes...

What's stopping you from letting someone help with the easy replies?

05/08/2026

One thing I wish more business owners understood...

Don't wait until you're overwhelmed to ask for help.

By the time emails are piling up and you're working late just to keep up, everything's urgent and twice as hard to fix.

Support isn't about losing control. It's about getting your time back for the work only you can do.

If your to-do list is growing faster than your business, that's the moment to get help. Not the moment after.

👇 Comment "Clarity" if you want to know what that could look like for you.

29/07/2026

You've checked into your hotel, unpacked your suitcase and found a nice spot by the pool.

You're just starting to relax when that little voice pops into your head...

"I wonder if anyone's emailed?"

So out comes the laptop. Your partner rolls their eyes!

You tell them and yourself it'll only be five minutes, but before you know it, you're replying to clients, looking for a document and checking your diary.

Sound familiar?

For a lot of business owners, taking the laptop on holiday feels normal and the safe option. Not because they want to work, but because they're worried about what might happen if they don't.

That's exactly what I help with.

While my clients are away, I keep an eye on the inbox, make sure clients get a response, and keep the admin moving so they can switch off and enjoy their break.

A holiday should be about making memories, not checking emails.

Would you leave your laptop at home... or would it still find its way into your suitcase?